


Prompt: Andrew & Neil get to babysit Sophie

by orphan_account



Series: One or the Other [13]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: And it got angsty as hell, M/M, Mentions of child sexual abuse, Nothing graphic i swear, Sophie is back!!, this started out cute and fluffy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-06
Updated: 2017-10-06
Packaged: 2019-01-09 15:05:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12278961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: What it says on the tin, basically.Aaron and Matt leave for a few days and ask Andrew and Neil to babysit Sophie. Baby-sized exy is involved. Also lots and lots of angst. But there is a happy ending!





	Prompt: Andrew & Neil get to babysit Sophie

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt fill for @metaphoricallytheworst! Thanks!! I had...too much fun with this. I missed writing my darling Sophie. (why must i hurt my characters so???) 
> 
> I hope you enjoy!
> 
> (also - if i need to tag something else, someone let me know. I'm rush-posting this. It also has not been edited. So. Theres that.)

Aaron & Matt are gone for a few days and Andrew & Neil get to babysit Sophie

This is set the summer after Protect & Defend

\--

“You will miss your flight,” Andrew says blankly. He is sitting at the bar in Matt’s and Aaron's house, watching as Aaron and Matt spend the last few minutes they can with Sophie, who is already teary and whining. 

“He's right, babe,” Matt says softly, one arm around Aaron’s shoulder. “We love you, Soph, and you know all you have to do is ask to call us, right?” She nods and sniffs as she rubs her chubby little fist over her cheek. “We’ll do a video call tonight, okay?”

“‘Kay,” Sophie says quietly. “Love you. Be cawful.” 

“We will, princess,” Aaron says. He kisses the top of her head then reluctantly puts her down on the couch. “Love you too.” Aaron chews on his lower lip and looks at Andrew once more. “I wrote everything down. I know you won't forget, but…”

“It's fine,” Andrew says. He flicks his fingers at them. “I'm sure Neil will call freaking out at least once.” That, at least, makes Aaron smirk. Neil isn't around to hear the comment, unfortunately. “Now go.” Aaron nods. He and Matt wave to Sophie as they walk out of the door. 

Sophie almost instantly dissolves into a fit of tears, but she's quiet at least. Andrew walks over to his bag in the corner where he'd dropped it when he arrived. He crouches over it and pulls out a brand new stuffed fox - Neil’s choice, of course - and  _ Spirited Away  _ on Blu Ray. She has every Disney movie in existence, but he hadn't seen any of the Miyazaki movies when he was here back in the Spring. He leaves the other couple of gifts he has stashed away for when she inevitably has another meltdown later and walks over to her. He crouches in front of the couch where she's sitting and holds up the new stuffed fox first. He has no idea where Neil managed to find one with a tiny Palmetto jersey and Aaron’s old number on it.

“Sophie,” he says. She looks up at him and blinks and a sniffs before hiccuping softly. “Neil found this for you.” She reaches out with one hand and he gives her the little stuffed fox.

“It has Aawon’s number,” she says quietly, touching the bright white 05 on the back. 

“It does,” Andrew says with a nod. It had taken some getting used to for him to be able to interact with Sophie at first, but they have something of a mutual understanding now. He's just hoping she'll grow out of her lisp faster than he did. “Be sure to thank Neil when he gets back.” 

“I will,” Sophie says with a nod. She hugs the little fox to her chest. “Did they tell you what happened to my othew one?” Andrew shakes his head. “It got messed up. Fell apawt. Couldn't fix it again.” 

“That happens sometimes,” Andrew says. He doesn't try for gentleness or anything. “I brought a movie as well. Do you want to watch it?” 

“‘Kay,” Sophie says quietly. She kicks off her little shoes and yanks the blanket from the back of the couch before curling up on one end with the fox tucked up under her chin. Even for a four year old, she's mostly quiet and still very small. Andrew and Neil have watched her before, but never over night and never for four days. Andrew has already thought about every possible thing that could go wrong, and he's fairly certain he's prepared for most situations, but he tries not to dwell on those thoughts as he puts the disc in the player and grabs the remote. 

He settles on the other end of the couch from Sophie. She sits up and blinks at him for a moment. “Can I sit with you?” she asks, her voice very small. 

He'd told her only once to ask before she touched him, and for the most part, she's done a fantastic job at remembering that. She only ever forgets when she's excited and playing around. He didn't understand what she meant the first few times she asked this question, and he'd been surprised and frozen when she'd crawled into his lap. Now that he's prepared, though, he nods. Sophie stands and walks over the couch with the blanket in one hand and the fox in the other. He holds one arm out for her and she settles into his lap with her head on his chest, twisted so that she can still watch the movie. He tucks the blanket around her shoulders.

“When is Neil coming back?” Sophie asks as Andrew skips to the title menu. 

“In a little while,” he answers. “He had to get a few things.” She nods against his chest and he rubs her back gently. He's gotten a lot better about touch - first with Neil, then the cats, and lately with Sophie.

They watch the movie in peace and quiet until Neil gets back. He'd taken the spare key Matt gave him the moment they got there and left again after just a quick hello to Sophie. Andrew raises an eyebrow at him and he nods and smiles. Sophie is already sitting up and crawling out of Andrew's lap to go give Neil a hug. Andrew pauses the movie.

“Hi, Neil,” she says softly. He crouches in front of her and gives her a gentle hug. She nearly strangles him with the force of hers. “Whewe did you go?” 

“To get you a gift,” Neil says with a smile. 

“What kinda gift?” Sophie asks, stepping back and bouncing on her heels and then her toes. 

“Go sit with Andrew and I'll bring everything inside, okay?” She nods and dashes back to the couch, obviously feeling much better now than she was an hour ago. She doesn't ask to sit in Andrew's lap again, but she does sit right up next to sit side, squirming a little in place. 

“Do you like this movie?” he asks.

“It's a little scawy,” she says, “but yeah, I like it. Does it have a good end?” Andrew nods and Sophie grins up at him. “Can we watch latew?” He nods again. 

Neil comes back in through the front door with a big, green gear bag on his shoulder. Sophie gasps and giggles when he drops it on the coffee table. It has her name on it in big black letters. “I thought you might want to learn how to play exy.” Neil unzips the bag and the first thing he grabs is an exy stick, exactly right for her size. Sophie jumps down off the couch and runs around the table, tackling his leg in a hug. 

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” she shouts. She jumps up and down and Neil laughs a little as he hands over the racquet. She takes it and stares at it in wonder. “It's green! I love green!”

“I know,” Neil says, still smiling. “We got you gear and everything, too.” 

“Teach me!” Sophie says, tugging at his shirt. “I wanna learn! Matt said I was still too little, but I wanna learn!” 

“Okay, okay,” Neil says with a laugh. He looks at Andrew. “Will you help me get the rest?”

Andrew huffs. “Get it yourself. If she's playing, I need to get her changed and into all that gear.” Neil nods to this and Sophie spins to look at Andrew. “Come on, let's find you something you can get dirty in.”

“‘Kay!” Sophie doesn't let go of her racquet as she bolts for the stairs and runs up them. 

Andrew shakes his head. “Just what I need. Another exy junkie.” 

“She'll be the best kid in all of little leagues,” Neil says with a laugh. 

“Tell that to Kevin,” Andrew mutters. “What else did you buy, anyway?”

“Chalk to draw in the grass to make a court and a couple of little goals. Some cones.” He shrugs. “Aaron might be pissed, but I bet Matt will be thrilled.”

“Go get it set up then,” Andrew sighs. He turns toward the stairs when he hears Sophie’s shout, grabbing her brand new gear bag and taking that with him. When he gets up there, she's already stripped down to her underwear and is digging around in one of her drawers. “Just hold on.” She looks up at him and he reaches into the bag to dig out the plastic bag inside. He'd ordered the under armour himself - in black. He drops the gear bag in the center of the floor and upends the plastic bed over her dresser. He grabs the shorts and shirt and drops them on her head, making her squeal. 

“Thank you!” She grabs the shorts first and pulls them on, then she tugs the shirt on over her head. “Can you fix my haiw?” He nods and has her turn around. He made Aaron show him how to braid it the last time he visited, so he manages a somewhat sloppy braid. He frowns and realizes he needs more practice. Her hair is baby-fine, but thick and long. He calls it good enough for now, though. “These awe tight,” she says, tugging at the shirt. 

“They are supposed to be,” he says. “These go under the gear you wear to keep your skin from chafing.” 

“What's that?” she asks, already moving to the gear bag and pulling out the pieces. 

“That is what happens when something rubs up against your skin over and over and makes it turn red.” She nods and finds the chest piece, tugging it over her head. He kneels beside her and twists it around so that it's on correctly before adjusting it to fit her properly. He leans over to grab the shorts from her bed and helps her step into them, then he makes her sit down while he straps on her shin guards over some tall black socks. 

“What ‘bout shoes?” she asks.

“One second,” Andrew says. He yanks the bag closer and digs into the bottom of it. He pulls out a pair of brand new black shoes for her and she giggles. 

“I like ‘em! I like black, too!” He nods as he puts the shoes on her feet and ties them for her before tucking in the laces. Finally, he reaches behind her and grabs the last thing that had been in the plastic bag. He holds it up for her first. It is a black jersey, with her first name in white letters across the back, and the number 05. She grins so hard Andrew is sure her face must hurt. “I love it! Thank you!” She tackles him in a hug. Though he doesn't expect it, he finds it doesn't bother him as much as it would have even just last year.

“Stand up,” he tells her. She nods and he gathers the jersey in his hands before looping it over her head. She shoves her arms through the sleeves. “There is a green one, as well, with Matt’s number on it.” 

“Awesome!” Sophie laughs as she runs around her room a little. “Can we go play?” He holds up a finger and she stops dead in her tracks. He pulls out her helmet and gloves from the bag - both in green. The force of her grin should, by rights, split her face in two. He tucks the gloves into her helmet and hands it to her. She grabs it and her stick before dashing out of her room. She does, thankfully, slow down on the stairs. 

Once they get outside, he makes her stop and stand beside one of the child-sized goals with her helmet and gloves on and her stick in her hands. He takes a picture and sends it to Aaron first, then to Nicky. Nicky is likely asleep, so he doesn't expect an answer. Aaron should be boarding the plane soon, though. He sits down on the porch steps and watches as Neil starts to teach Sophie how to hold the ball in her net. Just as he takes the first drag from a cigarette, his phone rings.

“I think you made Matt cry,” Aaron says, amusement in his voice. “He wanted her to wait until she was old enough to start little leagues.” 

“Neil is incapable of playing children's games. If you expected us to keep her entertained, you should have known it would come down to exy.” Andrew is almost bitter to include himself in that statement. Almost.

“I know.” Aaron sounds smug. As if he can sense the way Andrew is narrowing his eyes, he continues, “I'm glad you guys did this. We've tried all kinds of stuff with her: ballet, gymnastics, karate, swimming, even riding horses. She only wants to play exy. Matt is the one who kept telling her no.”

“Why?” Andrew asks, ashing his cigarette and watching as Sophie throws the ball with all her might across the yard. It hits the fence and bounces off it a little. Neil gives her a high five. 

“Because she's still so small!” Matt shouts into the phone from somewhere farther off. “I didn't want her to get hurt!”

“That's what gear and ice packs are for, babe,” Aaron says with a laugh. “She'll be fine. It's just Neil showing her how to throw the ball and shit right now anyway. They don't even allow checking in little leagues.” Matt says something else, but Andrew can't hear him. Aaron laughs. “Whatever. Look, our flight is boarding. Thanks, Andrew. Tell Neil I said so, too. And tell Sophie she looks great and to beat Neil's ass.”

“You want me to curse in front of a four year old?” Andrew asks, deadpan.

“We cuss all the time,” Aaron says lightly. “She knows she isn't supposed to say it. I don't even really care if she does. There's a lot worse shit she can do.” 

“Fair enough,” Andrew says. He hangs up before Aaron can say anything else. He takes a picture of Neil crouching beside Sophie and showing her something with her racquet. He sends that to the Foxes group chat he is only reluctantly a part of.  _ Another exy junkie in the making _ .

Dan's response is nearly instant, with  _ go get ‘em kid! Uncle Neil will teach you well!  _ Allison sends several emojis some time later. Renee says something about Sophie looking cute and Andrew and Neil being very nice for setting all of that up for her. Robin says,  _ tell her to go for the knees _ . Andrew actually snorts at that one. 

When Neil makes Sophie take a break for some water after about an hour, Andrew says, “Aaron said to tell you to kick Neil’s ass.” 

Sophie giggles. “I will!” He gives her a high five at Neil's annoyed look. “Can we keep playing?”

“Sure thing,” Neil says. “Instead of throwing, you can try catching this time.” She nods and tugs her helmet and gloves back on before grabbing her stick and running back out to the yard. Neil tosses the ball to her gently. She misses the first few times, but once Neil talks her through how to catch it, rather than just expecting her to know how to do it, she catches the ball nearly every time. Andrew supposes he shouldn't be surprised - Sophie has been watching exy since before she was even born. 

He takes a video of her catch game with Neil as Neil tosses it to her, she catches, and then she tosses it back toward him using her racquet. He sends that to Kevin with  _ your move _ . Kevin sends back a picture of Amalia with an exy ball beside her in her crib where she's sleeping and  _ give me time. _ He snorts at that and doesn't respond again. 

He is surprised by just how much energy Sophie has. They have to make her quit playing when it gets close to six. She's sweaty and pink-cheeked, but she's grinning from ear to ear. “Can we play again tomowow?” she asks as Andrew helps her get the shin guards off.

“Of course,” Neil says, ever indulgent when it comes to exy. “But now you need a bath. What do you want for dinner?”

“Can we have sceti?” she asks, already yanking off her shoes and socks. Neil nods. “Yay!” 

“They don't have anything to make spaghetti,” Andrew says, having already raided the pantry. “We’ll go out for dinner.” 

“‘Kay.” Sophie climbs to her feet and tries to gather everything up in her arms to carry it inside. Andrew grabs her helmet, gloves, shin guards, and shoes. She smiles and picks up her racquet and her socks. “Who's gonna give me my bath?” 

Andrew frowns. He hadn't thought of that. “Me, I suppose.” She nods and leads the way into the house. He ignores Neil’s look and follows behind her up the stairs. Once in her room, he helps her take off the rest of her gear. He tosses the jersey into her dirty clothes basket and piles the gear into the corner to dry out for a while before packing it away in her bag. 

They head to the bathroom and he turns the water on. He has her make sure it isn't too hot for her before stopping up the tub and letting it fill up. She strips and splashes a bit as she climbs in. Within moments, she's flopping around and getting water everywhere. “Stop that,” Andrew says flatly. She grins, but she does. She takes up some of her toys instead. One is a battleship, the other is an Ariel doll. She makes up some little story as she plays and Andrew washes her hair for her. Thankfully, he has no negative associations with baths, so when it comes time to bathe her, he manages without much trouble.

“Come on,” he says once he's finished, “get out. If I let you play, it will be eight o’clock before we get dinner.” She sighs dramatically, but she nods and puts her toys back in the small basket stuck to the side of the tub before standing up. He pulls the plug over the drain and grabs a towel for her and wraps her up in it before picking her up and putting her down on the rug in front of the tub. She giggles a little and then shrieks with laughter as Andrew scrubs the towel over her head to dry her hair. 

“Do you want me to help you get dressed?” he asks as he wrings the water out of the longer part of her hair that falls down her back. 

“I can't weach my clothes,” she says, her face scrunching up. “Too high.” He nods once. “Gotta bwush my teefs!” 

“Teeth,” he corrects. “We will brush them before you go to bed. There's no sense in it before we go eat.” She nods. He tucks the towel around her and she holds onto it. “Let's go.” They walk together to her room. Her room is decorated in greens and purples, mostly, but it is done up like a garden complete with a mural along her walls. “Any preference?” he asks her as he stares into her closet. It is nearly overflowing with clothes. 

“This one!” Sophie reaches up on her tiptoes and tugs at the hem of a simple, light green dress. He shrugs and takes it down for her. She wanders over to her little dresser and pulls open one of the drawers to get herself some underwear. She pushes her towel away from her as she balances on first one foot, then the other, to tug them on. Then she prances back over to Andrew and holds her arms up. He tugs the dress down over her head. “Allison made this fow me!” 

“Pretty,” he says. He figured as much, thanks to the stylized “S” monogrammed into the top right near the shoulder. “Get your brush.” She bounces back over to her dresser and grabs her brush before handing it over to Andrew. He sits on the edge of her very low bed and she sits on her knees in front of him, her back presented to him. He starts working the tangles out of her hair from the bottom up. 

It takes a while before he's done, but he manages a better braid that time. She runs over to her closet and tries to grab some sparkly pink cowboy boots. He just shakes his head and tells her to get her black shoes instead. She sighs, again dramatically, but she does like he says and pulls on the little flats instead. With her dressed and ready to go, he stops by the guest room he and Neil are staying in to grab a clean shirt. Sophie follows him. 

“Why do you weaw those things on youw awms?” she asks, climbing up on the bed to sit. 

Andrew tugs on a clean black undershirt before looking at her. “Because I have scars.” 

“I have one!” she says cheerfully. She yanks up the hem of her dress and bends her knee to point at a long scratch. “I fell in tumbling. I was climbing on stuff. It huwt a lot, but Awwon made it all bettew.” She looks up at him and tips her head to the side. “Will you show me?”

“No,” he says, making an attempt to keep his voice soft. 

“‘Kay.” Sophie nods and kicks her feet back and forth as Andrew grabs a black button down shirt and shrugs into it. He buttons it up and rolls up the sleeves. He also exchanges his tennis shoes for boots. When he moves to pick Sophie up and put her back on the floor, she says, “Your shiwt is cool. It has skulls on it.” 

“Yeah,” he says. He sets her down, but she latches onto his hand and doesn't let go. “Ready?” She nods and they head down the stairs. Neil is stands up from where he'd been sitting on the couch and smiles at them. 

“I've got the car seat in the car,” he says. “And I've found us a place for dinner.” He's in a soft gray button down and boots as well, though his sleeves he keeps rolled down. “Are you hungry, Sophie?” She nods. “Me too.” 

“I'm gonna eat lots,” she says happily as they head outside to the car. Neil locks the door behind them. “I didn't get a snack.” Neil frowns over at Andrew, but he just shrugs. She'd been playing and hadn't asked for one. Sophie climbs into the back of the Maserati on her own and buckles herself into her seat. He shuts the door behind her before settling in behind the wheel. Neil starts up the GPS on his phone and they head out. 

The drive doesn't take very long, but Sophie is already grumpy by the time they get there. Andrew doesn't say anything to her, but Neil tells her they'll get something for her to eat in just a moment. When they walk up to the little podium, Neil gives the hostess his name and she seats them right away. Andrew guesses she must not be an exy fan - which is nice. He does notice some other stares as they walk through the restaurant, but no one approaches them.

“What do you want to drink, Sophie?” Neil asks. 

“Lemonade?” she asks, peeking up at him. He nods and she gives him a small smile. 

“No problem, honey,” the hostess says with a smile. “And for the two of you?” 

“Water,” Neil says, predictable as ever. 

“Johnny Walker Blue,” Andrew says boredly. She asks for his ID and he doesn't begrudge her as he hands it over. She smiles as she gives it back and promises to be right back. 

Before she can step away, Neil says, “Is there any way you can go ahead a bring bread or something?” He gestures at Sophie. “She's hungry.” 

“Of course.” The hostess smiles again and leaves. Sophie opens her tiny box of crayons and begins to color in the small booklet the hostess gave her. 

“I miss Aawon and Matt,” she says softly. In one of the blank circles meant for drawing faces, she draws a frowny face. Andrew wonders if the therapist she's been seeing is the one who taught her to draw her simpler feelings. 

“We will call them when we get back to your house,” Andrew says. She nods. “Is that why you drew this?” He taps the frowning face with one finger. She nods again. 

“They won't be gone long,” Neil says in an attempt to cheer her up. “You know they're looking at new houses and stuff while they're out there, right? You guys are gonna move close to us.”

Sophie jerks her head up to look at Neil. Her face turns a blotchy red and her eyes fill with tears. “But I don't wanna move. Mommy and Daddy and Andy awe hewe. I won't get to see ‘em anymowe if we move. Ow go to my school.”

Andrew frowns. “You can come back to visit,” he says. “And there is a better school for you near us. A bigger school with more kids.” 

Sophie shakes her head and begins to cry quietly. She crumbles in on herself, folding her arms and hiding her face in them on the table. Andrew stands and pulls her chair back before gathering her up in his arms and taking her outside. She can scream as loud as she likes out there. He sits on a bench around the corner from the door. His fingers itch for a cigarette, but he left them in the car and he won't smoke so close to Sophie anyway. She cries into his shoulder but never gets very loud.

“Aaron got a job at the hospital in our city,” Andrew tells her. “Matt will be playing on the same team as Neil and me. You will get to come watch our games whenever you like. If you miss Katelyn and Gregg and...Andy...you know that Matt and Aaron will bring you back here to see them. But moving to where we are also means you are closer to your grandparents and your aunt and uncle and cousins.”

She sniffs. “I don't like Uncle John.” 

“Why not?” Andrew asks.

“He's mean,” she whispers. “He hit me once. Not a spanking.”

Andrew pulls her back so he can look at her. “Listen to me, okay?” She nods. “No one is ever allowed to hit you or touch you if you do not want them to. Did you tell Aaron that he hit you?” She shakes her head. “Why not?”

“Uncle John said if I told I couldn't go back,” she whispers. Andrew's stomach cramps and it's all he can do to keep his fists from clenching. 

“Sophie, this is very important. Has he ever touched you…” He really isn't certain how to phrase this question to a four-year-old. “Has he ever touched you between your legs?” She nods and Andrew wants to scream with rage. “He will never, ever do that again, Sophie. I promise.”

“But -”

“No,” he says, a little too harshly. Sophie snaps her mouth shut but she doesn't try to get away from him at least. “I will take care of this. Has he done that since you've lived with Aaron?” She shakes her head. “Okay. If anyone ever touches you again and you do not want them to, tell Aaron or me or Matt or Neil - tell someone you trust. He will make sure it never happens again, too. Will you promise to do that?” She nods. “Good. Thank you.” 

She settles back against his chest when he lets her and he lets her cry a little bit more. He wants to call Aaron and tell him, right this second, but he can't. Sophie speaks German well enough that she'd understand them, and Andrew isn't certain that he can get through that conversation without shouting. When she's stopped crying and is only hiccuping a little, he asks if she wants to go back inside. She nods, so he stands and carries her in. 

Back at the table, he tucks her into her booster seat and pushes her chair up before seating himself. He grabs the glass of whiskey waiting for him and knocks back the entire thing. Neil frowns at him. In quiet Russian, Neil asks, “What's wrong?”

“She's been molested by her uncle - the bastard from the funeral,” Andrew says in the same language. He flags down a waiter and orders another glass. Neil gapes at him for a long moment, and then his expression turns to rage. “Aaron, and I assume Matt, do not know.”

“We need to tell them,” Neil says. 

“I will tonight,” Andrew says, watching Sophie color a horse blue. “After she is asleep.” Neil nods. “Do you think your uncle might do us a favor?”

“It will cost me,” Neil says with a shrug. “But I'm more than willing to pay.” 

Andrew nods. His drink arrives shortly and he grabs the glass and takes a long sip. “Do not call him yet. We need to ask Aaron how he wants to handle this.” Neil’s jaw muscle twitches, but he nods. He breaks up a breadstick for Sophie and gets her to eat a few bites of it. That seems to help make her feel better, and between the carbs and the sugar from her lemonade, she back to her bright and cheerful self again quickly - as if nothing was ever wrong.

After their food arrives, a single person tries to come up to the table and speak to Neil and Andrew. Andrew gives the man his best blank look, which is usually enough to freak people out, but this man seems determined. Neil sneers. Andrew tells Sophie to cover her ears. She puts her fork down, but she nods and obeys.

“Do you fucking mind?” Neil snaps at the man. “We are trying to eat dinner with our niece, if you didn't notice. I don't know what about this table says ‘step right up, ask for a fucking autograph’ but whatever it is, I'd like to know so I can be sure to change that immediately. Oh, but look, this table is exactly the same as the rest. You're the inconsiderate  _ fuck _ that couldn't be bothered to let us eat our fucking dinner in peace!” By this point, the majority of the restaurant is looking at them. Andrew sighs internally, but he's used to this at this point.

“Sir, is there a problem here?” A woman in a nice pants suit comes over to the table with a tight smile on her face. Her eyes go wide when she sees Neil’s face.

“This man came over here to harass us while we were trying to eat dinner with our niece,” Neil spits viciously. With the way Neil is spitting the phrase “our niece” left and right, it makes Andrew glad that he and Neil finally put to rest the rumors of their relationship at the end of the season. Andrew calmly leans over with a napkin and wipes some of the sauce off Sophie’s face.

“I am so sorry,” the woman, likely the manager, says quickly. She faces the man. “Sir, if you'll please follow me?” The man opens and closes his mouth for a moment before following along timidly. Good. At least Andrew won't have to worry about getting arrested tonight for pulling his knives on the asshole.

Neil sits back in his chair with an angry huff. Sophie asks, “Can I put my hands down now?” Andrew nods. She drops them. “What happened?”

“That man was trying to ask for autographs,” Andrew says quietly. 

Sophie nods. “That happens a lot to Matt. Aaron gets mad sometimes and yells. It's funny.” She smiles a little, then frowns. “Can we get ice cweam?” 

“Not here,” Neil says coolly. “There's an ice cream parlor not too far away. It looks nice.” He's scrolling through his phone as he says it. “Is that okay?” He looks over at Sophie. She nods and takes another bite of her spaghetti. 

They continue eating for a few moments. Andrew is nearly done with his food, and he's ready to just get out of this place already with the way people keep shooting glances at them, but Sophie is still struggling to eat her spaghetti. Andrew finally decides he's had enough and he gently takes Sophie's fork and starts to help her out. She smiles brightly at him as she takes the fork back and eats the bite. They repeat the process and Sophie is a little over halfway done when the manager returns to their table. Neil gestures for her to sit.

“I wanted to apologize,” she says as she perches on the very end of the chair. “I've asked that man and those with him to leave. A couple of our busboys ensured they got in their car and left the parking lot.” Andrew nods to her. Neil still looks unhappy. “Is there any possible way I can make this up to you?”

“When I made the reservation, I specifically asked for a table in a back corner,” Neil says. “I told the man on the phone that I didn't care how long we had to wait, we’d rather be in the back because of who we are. He assured me that this would be done.” He gestures around them. They are against a wall, but they certainly aren't in a corner. “Perhaps you should educate your staff on the way to handle such requests in the future. Otherwise, no, there is nothing you can do.”

“I understand,” she says with a nod and a firm set to her jaw. “I assure you, Mr. Josten, I will handle that issue post haste.” She stands. “I do hope you will enjoy the rest of your meal.” She dips her head to them and stalks off across the restaurant. Andrew watches her go right for the podium at the front and snatch the host by the arm before dragging him to the back. 

“I'm full,” Sophie says quietly. Andrew looks up and spots their waiter from across the room. He makes their way over to them quickly and presents them with the bill when Neil asks for it. Andrew glances at it, then crams a few bills into the little leather notebook and snaps it shut before the man can walk away. His tip was more than a bit too much, but he doesn't care to wait for change. Neil is already standing and picking Sophie up. She clings to his neck as they walk through the restaurant. Once they settle her in her seat in the back, they stand outside of the car to smoke. 

The ice cream parlor Neil directs Andrew to is, as Neil said, nice. It also serves regular food and doubles as a novelty shop, as well as sells candies and fudge of all kinds. Andrew orders a monstrosity of an ice cream for himself, gets Sophie the strange blue ice cream she asks for - with sprinkles - and doesn't even sigh when Neil gets a cup of fruit instead. They pick their own table - well and truly in a back corner this time - and Andrew FaceTimes Aaron and sets the phone on the little stand attached to the case for Sophie to talk to him while she eats.

“Hi princess!” Matt says cheerfully the moment the call connects. “Oh! Look at that mess!” He laughs. “Andrew and Neil are spoiling you, huh?”

“Uh-huh,” Sophie says with a nod and a big blue grin. “I got to play exy! It was so much fun!” 

“I'm glad you had fun, princess,” Matt says with a chuckle. Aaron appears in the screen and he pokes his tongue out at her, which makes Sophie giggle and do the same.

“You're turning into a Smurf,” Aaron teases. 

“Am not!” Sophie crows. 

“Are too,” Aaron shoots back. “I can't call you princess anymore. I have to call you Smurf now. You're all blue.”

“Noooo!” she whines. “Wanna be - wanna be  _ exy _ pwincess!”

That makes Aaron and Matt both laugh. “Look what you've done, Neil, you've corrupted her!” Matt complains. “I was gonna try to get her into cheer next.” 

“Why can't she play exy?” Neil asks, turning the phone to frown at them. “She'll get bigger.”

Aaron snorts. “Sure, when she's nine maybe.” Matt elbows Aaron in the ribs and he presses his whole hand over Matt’s face to push him away. “Let me see Soph.” Neil spins the phone again. “What all did you do today?”

“Watched a movie, played exy, took a bath, and eated dinnew.” 

“Ate,” Andrew corrects. 

“Ate dinnew. Now ice cweam!” She smiles again and takes another bite. “Neil yelled at someone. I wasn't ‘loud to listen.”

“What for?” Matt asks. 

“Some asshole tried to get autographs while we were eating dinner,” Neil says. “Told him off.” 

“Are you being good for Andrew and Neil?” Aaron asks Sophie. She nods. “I hope you didn't cry too much.”

“Not too much,” Andrew says with a shrug. In German, he says, “We’ll talk later.” Aaron frowns slightly, but he nods. 

“Okay, princess, eat your ice cream and be a good girl for Andrew and Neil, okay?” Matt says. “We love you.”

“Love you too,” Sophie says. “Bye.” She waves at them and Aaron and Matt wave back. Andrew reaches over and ends the call before tucking his phone back in his pocket. “Can we finish the movie when we go home?”

“Sure,” Neil says with a nod. “I think Andrew is going to drive around for a bit, though. Do you mind if it's just me and you?” 

“That's okay,” Sophie says with a smile. She takes another bite of ice cream and her little cup is nearly empty. “Can I have mowe?”

“No,” Andrew says. “But I will buy some fudge for tomorrow.” 

“‘Kay.” Sophie scrapes the last bite from her cup and Neil takes it to throw away. Andrew finishes his own ice cream and puts her on the floor to let her walk around. She and Neil wander over to the store part to look at everything while Andrew buys three pounds of fudge and some other candies. 

He catches up with them just as Neil tells Sophie that he isn't going to buy her anything. Andrew braces himself for a meltdown, but she just pouts a little bit as they head back out to the car. She climbs in and buckles herself into her seat and Andrew drives them back to Aaron’s and Matt’s townhouse. By the time they get there, Sophie is already in the middle of her sugar crash. They get her upstairs and into a nightgown, then, after brushing her teeth and getting the blue off her face, she and Neil pile up on the couch and start the movie from where she and Andrew left off earlier. Andrew tells her goodnight and walks straight back out to the car.

He's five minutes from the house when he calls Aaron. “What's going on?” Aaron asks when he answers.

“Neil told Sophie you were moving,”Andrew says first. Aaron sighs. “She began to cry, so I took her outside and sat with her. I told her she'd be closer to her grandparents and to her aunt and uncle and cousins.” Aaron is silent as Andrew lights himself a cigarette. “She told me she didn't like John.”

“I know,” Aaron says softly. “She's said that before, once, but when I tried to ask her why, she said something about how he said mean things about me and Matt and called us names. I told her not to worry about any of that.”

“That is not everything.”

A pause, then, “What?” low and angry. 

“I asked her why she did not like him and she told me that he had hit her once. She said it was not a spanking.”

“I'll fucking kill him,” Aaron swears viciously. 

“Let me finish,” Andrew grits out. “I asked her why she had not told you. She said that John told her she'd never be allowed to see her cousins again if she did. Circumstances being what they are, I asked if he had ever touched her.”

“No,” Aaron whispers, barely a sound at all.

“She said he had, but not since she's lived with you.” Aaron doesn't say a word. Andrew thinks he must be in shock. “I have spoken to Neil about it. We can take care of this, if that is what you want. Well, not us directly.”

“I -” Aaron’s voice is choked and broken. “I can't do this right now.” He hangs up. 

Almost immediately, Andrew's phone begins to ring. It's Matt. “What?” 

“What did you say to Aaron?” Matt asks, sounding confused and a little angry. “He just...bolted out of here and told me not to follow him.”

“Sophie has been molested by her uncle.” Matt swears viciously. “I do not know all the details. I did not ask.”

“You don't have to,” Matt says quickly. “Look, we have to be here tomorrow for the conference thing, but fuck looking for a house. We’ll come back early.”

“We can take care of her until you come back,” Andrew says. “She can play her exy junkie heart out with Neil for the next three days.” 

“Andrew -”

“No.” He cuts Matt off and flicks his cigarette out the window. “Go find Aaron. Talk to him.” He hangs up the phone and calls Bee next, not giving two shits that it's nearly ten pm. 

“Hello, Andrew,” she says softly. 

“Bee,” he says as his greeting. He lights another cigarette and takes a long, slow drag. “You remember Sophie.”

“I do,” she says, and he can hear the smile in her voice. “She's an adorable little girl. Dan sent the picture you took of her today to Wymack and Abby, and Abby sent it to me. Who's idea was that?”

“Neil's,” he says. “And mine,” he admits as an afterthought. “She is four and energetic. This keeps both Sophie and Neil entertained.” Bee laughs quietly. “I need to speak with you.”

“One moment.” He hears rustling, and then the soft click of a door shutting. “Go ahead. I'm all ears.”

“Sophie disclosed to me today that she has been molested by her uncle.” He takes another long drag from his cigarette and exhales it slowly in a controlled breath. “It has not happened since she's lived with Aaron and Matt, but I do not know how often it occurred previously or any other details.”

“Oh, Andrew, I am so sorry,” Betsy says quietly. She begins to talk after that, and Andrew responds to her questions. It's mostly in relation to his own abuse as a young child, but mostly he's just angry, and he allows himself to be angry. She talks him through it and calms him back down and when he hangs up again when he's back at the house over an hour later, he feels a little more settled. 

Inside, Neil and Sophie both are asleep on the couch. Neil is curled up with her, his arms wrapped around her tiny body to keep her from falling off the edge of the couch. Neil's eyes flash open when Andrew puts his keys on the coffee table, but he doesn't otherwise move until Andrew goes to pick Sophie up. He pulls his arms away from her and Andrew gathers her up in his arms and carries her up the stairs to her bedroom, her new stuffed fox tucked to her chest. She doesn't wake up when he tucks her into her bed and pulls the door shut with only her nightlight on. 

Neil meets him in the hall but doesn't touch him as they go to the guest room. Aaron has the bed pushed up against the wall for Andrew, and he lets himself be grateful. They change into pajamas and brush their teeth separately before crawling into bed. Neil leaves as much space between them as he is able. 

“I called Bee,” Andrew tells him, and offers his hand palm up on the mattress in the empty space. Neil takes it and slots their fingers together. Neil nods, knowing that Bee helps. “Aaron and Matt might cut their trip short, but I'm not certain yet.”

“How will they find a house?” Neil asks with a frown. 

“I told them to stay,” Andrew says. “We can take care of Sophie until they get back, and then we can decide what needs to be done about John.” Neil nods and his grip on Andrew's hand tightens for a moment. Eventually, he lets go and the two of them fall into uneasy sleep. 

\--

“Andwew?” Sophie’s tiny voice startles him awake. Neil had already gotten up earlier to go for a run, and Andrew had gone back to sleep. She stands at the edge of the bed with her fox held to her chest. “I had a bad dweam.” He motions her up and she tosses her fox up first before climbing her way up on the bed and crawling over to Andrew. He holds out his arm and she settles right up against his chest with her fox.

“What was it about?” he asks, his voice rough from sleep.

“Aawon and Matt,” she whispers. “They got huwt in the caw like Mommy and Daddy and Andy.”

Andrew sighs and rubs her back lightly. “I do not think that will happen.” He won't lie to her and say that it  _ won't _ . “Do you want to call them?” She nods. 

“Okay.” Andrew sits up and moves around her to reach his phone where it's charging on the nightstand. He lays back down in his previous spot and ignores most of his notifications in favor of finding Aaron’s contact and FaceTiming him. It rings a few times before Aaron finally answers, looking half-asleep. Half of his hair is sticking up like he just rolled over to grab his phone. Andrew holds up the phone for Sophie to see Aaron, but he's still mostly in the frame since Sophie is curled up against him. 

“Good morning, princess,” Aaron says softly. He smiles for her. 

“Mowning,” Sophie says softly. 

“What's wrong?” Aaron asks. He shifts to settle against the headboard of the hotel bed. Andrew can see Matt’s shoulder but not the rest of him and guesses Matt must still be asleep. 

“Bad dweam,” Sophie mumbles. “Bout you and Matt.” 

“We’re okay, princess,” Aaron says gently. He tilts the phone so that Sophie can see Matt sprawled out on the bed beside him, taking up most of it, and snoring softly. “See?” She nods. “Did you just wake up?” She nods again. “So did I. It's even earlier here than it is there. How about this. Why don't you and Andrew go get some breakfast and you can get dressed for the day and brush your teeth, okay? You can watch some Doc McStuffins and I'll call you a little later once me and Matt are up. Will that be all right?”

“I miss you,” Sophie whispers.

“I miss you too,” Aaron says softly. “We won't be gone too long, though. Promise.” She nods. “I love you, okay?”

“Love you,” she says. She waves and blows him a kiss and he does the same for her. 

Andrew disconnects the call and looks at Sophie. “You like Doc McStuffins?” She nods. “Why?”

“Cause she's a doctow like Aawon,” she says all matter-of-fact. “But I like  _ Planet Eawth _ , too. And  _ Cosmos _ .”

Andrew nods. He knew about both of those. “What do you want for breakfast, then?” 

“Ceweal,” she says. “Whewe did Neil go?”

“He runs every morning,” he says, sitting up with a yawn. “Like Matt.” 

Sophie nods, then she frowns. “He doesn't go evewy morwning, silly. Just some. Other mornings he goes to the basement. But I'm not ‘sposed to go down there ‘cause I could get huwt.”

Andrew recalls Matt saying something about his home gym being down there and he nods. “That is probably true.” He stretches a little and moves around Sophie to get off the bed. She crawls after him and slides off the edge. “I need to go to the bathroom. Go downstairs. I will be there in a moment.”

“‘Kay.” 

When he makes his way downstairs, Sophie is piled up on the couch with the blanket and her fox and Doc McStuffins on the tv. He goes to the pantry and finds some Honey Nut Cheerios for her, fixes her a bowl, and calls her over to the table. She climbs up into her booster seat on her own and starts to eat, even as she watches her cartoon with rapt attention. From what Aaron had said before he left, Sophie is only allowed so much tv time each day unless it's a very bad day. He does his best to keep her occupied with other things instead. Even her games on his phone or iPad are all educational somehow. 

He's glad for it, honestly. Too many times when he was in foster care was he left with the tv for a babysitter and nothing else to entertain him, which quickly grew boring. The only reason he was able to remain in the proper grade, despite changing schools so many times, was thanks to his eidetic memory. Sophie has been enrolled in a special school because of her memory. They challenge her and keep her from getting bored, but they also work on her lisp and keep her with other kids her own age to make sure she gets the right social interactions. 

Once she's finished eating, Andrew lets her finish the episode and then they head upstairs for her to get dressed and brush her teeth. He brushes her hair and braids it again. He's getting a little better at it, but it still takes him a few tries and it's crooked. Sophie doesn't seem to mind too much. She informs Andrew that it is color and puzzle time, so he heads down to the den with her and colors with her and does her puzzle with her. Neil comes back around that time, pokes his head in to say hello, and then heads upstairs to shower. 

After Sophie is done with that - at exactly eight o’clock, Andrew notes distantly - she says that it's story time. She grabs a book from the bookshelf in the den and brings it to Andrew. “Will you wead some to me?”

He raises an eyebrow at her. “I thought you knew how to read.”

“I do.” 

“I need a shower,” he says. “Read to yourself for now and I will ask you questions when I come back.” She nods and sits down at her small princess table off to one side of the room. Before he leaves, he says, “If you need something, just knock on the door. I'll hear you.”

“‘Kay.” Sophie chimes. She opens her book to the first page and starts to read out loud to herself slowly. It's  _ Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs _ and he's read the story before, so he'll know what to ask. 

Neil is just stepping out of the shower when he gets up there. “Sophie is in the den reading,” he says. “Yes or no?” 

Neil's eyes widen, but he says, “Yes,” so Andrew kisses him hard and gets him off before he makes his way into the shower and takes care of himself - he can't quite let Neil do the same for him, not with everything that happened the night before. When he heads back downstairs, he finds that Sophie has roped Neil into playing a board game with her. Andrew looks over Aaron’s long-ass list of notes and sees that Sophie's mornings are pretty well-structured. This is the time for a game, apparently, and she's just following the schedule. Next on the list is more tv time for an hour, but it has to be something educational (“no exy!” is written in beside that). After that, it's lunch time and then her afternoon is mostly dedicated to play time. 

When Neil wins their math-based board game, Sophie doesn't get upset. She tells him “good job” and packs everything away before putting the game back in its place and going into the living room. Andrew holds out the brand new Blu Ray set for her. “This is tv time, right?”

“A new  _ Planet Eawth _ ?” she asks, her eyes going wide. “Cool! Can we watch it?” She bounces up and down. He nods. “Yay!” He puts the first disc in the player and she wiggles around as the episode begins. He can't quite understand what a four-year-old sees in  _ Planet Earth _ , but it is a good series. He has to gently tell her to hush a few times as she begins chattering excitedly, but she pipes down when he asks. 

When it is over, she jumps down and runs around the couch. “Cool, cool, cool! I wanna watch anothew!” 

“Later,” he says. “It is lunch time.” 

“Can I play while you fix it?” she asks. He nods and she dashes into the den. Neil follows him into the kitchen and they look over Aaron’s papers for any suggestions for food. There are none, so Andrew texts him to ask him what to feed her. 

Aaron calls. “She didn't tell you?” Aaron asks. 

“Not this,” Andrew says. “She told us everything else. She keeps us to her schedule like clockwork.” 

“I wouldn't recommend trying to change anything, either,” Aaron says. “It's...rough. Her afternoons are free, though, so you can do whatever you'd like. Anyway. For lunch just do something light. A sandwich or something. There's shit in the freezer. Bake it, don't microwave it. Tastes like shit in the microwave.”

“We survived,” Andrew mutters.

“She doesn't have to,” Aaron says simply. Andrew can't argue with that logic. “I want her healthy, Andrew. I don't know about you, but I was underfed a lot of the time. If Sophie ever says she's hungry, there's plenty of snacks in the pantry for her. Just find something. Most of it is in a small enough serving not to worry about it. What did she watch on tv?”

“I bought  _ Planet Earth _ 2.” Andrew says as he rummages through the pantry. He digs out bread and peanut butter. He's fucking his diet plan to hell and back, but he doesn't care. “She loved it.”

“I didn't realize there was a second season,” Aaron says. 

“I got it for her,” Andrew says, dropping the bread and peanut butter on the counter. He grabs some honey and jelly next. “Does she like peanut butter and jelly?”

Aaron laughs. “Yeah. She's four, of course she does.” He says something to someone else that Andrew can't quite hear. “Tell her that I got caught up in something, but that I'll call in a couple of hours, would you?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Thanks.” Aaron hangs up and Andrew gets their lunch ready. He, Sophie, and Neil eat, Sophie watches another episode of Doc McStuffins - she has tons of them recorded - and then she begs to play exy again, so Andrew heads upstairs to get her changed. 

Aaron and Matt call while they're playing, so Andrew lets them watch as they continue their catch game, but this time, instead of tossing the balls back towards Neil, she's tossing them at the goal. Andrew calls out to her to take a break, since it's time anyway, and she runs over to talk to Aaron and Matt while she drinks some water and cools down for a little while. Matt yells at Neil for training his little princess to be a striker, which makes Neil laugh and Sophie demand to be taught to do what Matt does. So Neil goes and gets his own racquet as Sophie finishes up her conversation with Aaron and Matt.

When they go off to play some more, Aaron asks Andrew for a moment. “The conference ended early. We're going to look at houses this afternoon. Depending on what we see, we might head back early. I'm not sure yet.”

“Things are okay,” Andrew says, looking out at Sophie and Neil for a moment as Neil explains what he's going to try to do and what Sophie has to do to stop him. “Take your time.”

“I don't want to,” Aaron mutters darkly. “I want to talk to Sophie about that shit, but I don't want to do it over FaceTime and leave you with the tantrum.” Andrew shrugs. “I'll call again tonight.” Aaron hangs up before Andrew can say anything else.

Sophie and Neil play all afternoon yet again. Neil cooks dinner that night - chicken and green beans and rice - and Andrew lets Sophie have a little bit of fudge as they watch more of  _ Planet Earth 2 _ at her request. Andrew puts her to bed at a more reasonable hour and she demands a bedtime story, which is how he winds up sitting next to her in her bed and reading the first  _ Harry Potter _ book to her in his monotone voice. She drops off to sleep quickly, all tired out after her long afternoon.

Andrew heads back downstairs and he and Neil have a drink as they watch their own bit of tv. They'll watch crime dramas sometimes just to point out all the flaws. Andrew will watch Jeopardy just to put to good use some of his collected useless bits of information. Neil likes Wheel of Fortune sometimes. Andrew refuses to allow him to watch exy, and thankfully it's the off-season, so it's only reruns of games now anyhow. It is a quiet, peaceful night. 

The next day passes nearly exactly the same. Sophie crawls into bed with Andrew in the morning - after waking him up and asking if she can - and then they get started on the day. Aaron calls during puzzle time, which throws Sophie off and leaves her feeling awkward for a while, but once they get back on schedule, she's all right again. He makes her nuggets for lunch and Neil makes him eat some chicken salad (though he finishes the nuggets Sophie didn't eat). Neil and Sophie get out in the yard and play more exy and he teaches her how to be a goalkeeper today, since being a dealer is more of like being either a striker or a backliner. 

Aaron calls again during that time, and Andrew lets him watch as Sophie knocks away shot after shot Neil tosses at her tiny goal. Her reflexes are razor-sharp. Andrew feels a little too much like he's looking in a mirror when he looks at Sophie. 

“Holy shit,” Matt sighs. “Goddamnit, Andrew, why'd she have to be such a good ‘keeper like you?” Aaron laughs loudly. “I had my heart set on her being a backliner.”

“She can play whatever position she wants,” Aaron says. “Looks like she's decent enough at all of them right now.” 

“She has time,” Andrew says, blowing out a cloud of smoke. 

“We found a house,” Matt says brightly, changing gears. “It's only twenty minutes from the hospital and the stadium. Sophie’s school is close enough to the hospital that it doesn't make much difference. Plus it's in a gated neighborhood and it has a fenced in backyard.”

“It's also huge and under budget,” Aaron says. “Some old guy died in it, so like, no one wanted to buy it but I don't give a fuck and neither does Matt.” He shrugs. “We are going to sign the papers and then head home tonight.” 

Andrew nods. “Do you want to talk to Sophie?” Aaron nods and Andrew calls Sophie over just as she wacks a ball back from the goal. He'd told Neil to wear his helmet, but Neil hadn't listened. Sophie's ball hits Neil in the face and Andrew snorts. Sophie starts to cry and everything is a bit of a mess as they all try to console Sophie. 

After Aaron and Matt tell Sophie about the new house and how her room will be much bigger and she can decorate it however she wants, they tell her they will be home late that night. Sophie nods. They end the call, and Neil offers to keep playing, but Sophie doesn't want to hurt him again. They try explaining to her that Neil is “fine” and that getting hurt is sometimes part of the game, but Sophie will have none of it. So Andrew takes her upstairs and gives her a bath and they all pile up on the couch and watch more  _ Planet Earth 2 _ . 

Neil cooks again - fish, this time - and Andrew gives Sophie  _ Howl’s Moving Castle _ to watch after. She drops off to sleep towards the end. It's a little early, but he knows she'll wake up when Aaron and Matt get home, so Neil and Andrew let her sleep on the couch and watch tv and have drinks around her. 

Around eleven, they hear Matt’s truck pull in the driveway. Neil gets up to unlock the door and Andrew wakes Sophie up. She whines a little and Andrew picks her up. She curls up against his chest and drowsily watches Aaron and Matt come inside and leave their bags by the door. Aaron comes straight for her and Sophie holds out her arms for him. He picks her up and kisses her forehead. Matt comes over to them and hugs her and kisses the top of her head from behind her. 

“Come on, princess, let's get you to bed, okay?” Aaron says softly. She shakes her head. “Why not, huh?”

“Don't wanna yet.” She grips Aaron's shirt tighter. “Missed you.”

“I missed you too,” he says softly. He sighs and looks at her. “Since you're gonna be awake, can I talk to you?” She nods.

“Babe, you sure you wanna do this right now?” Matt asks softly. 

“I'm hoping she's too tired to pitch a fit,” Aaron says honestly. He sits down on the couch with Sophie and rubs her back gently. “Soph, I need you to be really honest, okay? That means you can't lie to me.”

“I know,” she says quietly. 

“You told Andrew that Uncle John hit you once,” Aaron says softly, keeping his voice gentle. “When did that happen?”

“When I saw them aftew my biwfday,” she says with a yawn. “He hit my face.” 

“Okay,” Aaron says simply. “Did he hit you any other times?” She shakes her head. He keeps rubbing her back. “I'm glad he didn't. But why didn't you tell me he hit you? I'm not mad at you, princess, I just need to know.”

“He said I was bad,” Sophie whines. “But I'm not.”

“You aren't bad, sweetie,” Matt says, sinking into the couch beside them. “I promise you aren't.”

“Matt's right,” Aaron says. “You are always really, really good for us. You listen when we tell you to do things, and you work really hard at everything you do.” 

“Why did he say it?” Sophie asks in a small voice.

“Some adults are mean,” Andrew says simply. “I knew a lot of them when I was little. They lie and they hurt people because it makes them feel better. It is not right, but they do it anyway. Unless someone stops them.”

“The only way to make them stop is to tell someone,” Aaron says, picking up from that. “So I need you to promise me, Sophie.  _ Promise me _ that if anyone ever hits you again, you will tell me or Matt or Andrew as soon as it happens.”

She nods. “Pwomise.” 

“Thank you,” Matt says. 

“Now. There's something else, okay?” Aaron says. Sophie yawns, but she nods all the same. Aaron looks at Andrew, lost.

Andrew grips his arms as he crosses his chest, finding the weight of his knives against his arms comforting. “You told me John touched you between your legs. How many times?”

Sophie is quiet for a long moment. She looks up at Aaron. “Fouw.” Aaron closes his eyes for a moment and clenches his jaw, but he remains relaxed around Sophie. “He said I couldn't go back if I told, said he'd huwt me and Mommy and Daddy. I'm sowwy.”

“Don't be sorry, sweetie,” Matt says gently. “No part of this is your fault. But this is another thing you have to promise to tell us, okay? Even if they say they are going to hurt you or someone else, you absolutely have to tell us, because we can protect you. We can keep you safe. Besides, I'm a lot bigger than John and I can beat him up.” Matt smiles at her, and Sophie smiles back a little.

Aaron just holds her tightly and doesn't let her go, rocking back and forth with her. “You can see your cousins again, princess, but I won't ever let you be alone with him again.” 

“‘Kay.” She yawns and her eyes slowly drift closed as Aaron rocks with her. It doesn't take long before she's asleep again. Matt gently tugs Aaron's arms away and takes her upstairs to put her to bed. 

Neil goes to the kitchen and pours them all very full glasses of whiskey. He gives the first one to Aaron. He just sort of stares into it for a while before taking his first sip. Neil gives the second glass to Andrew. He gives Matt a glass as soon as he comes back downstairs and Matt mutters a quiet thanks. 

“How do you want to handle him?” Andrew asks. 

“I don't know,” Aaron whispers. “I want to kill him, but I don't want to ruin Katelyn's family.” 

“They will be better off,” Andrew grits out. He takes a long drink. 

“I have an idea,” Neil says. He takes his own long drink and sits down in the chair. Andrew sits on the couch beside the chair, and Matt settles on the couch beside Aaron, pulling him into his lap and holding him close. Neil dials a number, waits a moment, then puts the phone on speaker and sets it on the coffee table.

“Hello, Nathaniel.” Andrew grits his teeth against the smooth British accent. “How are you?”

“Well enough, Uncle Stuart, and yourself?”

“Too much bloody work, but that's all the same,” he says. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I need a favor.”

“Of course you do,” Stuart says with a dry chuckle. “Well, it will bloody cost you, I can tell you that much. What is it?”

“Andrew’s brother, Aaron, has taken in a little girl.”

“Sophie Douglas,” Stuart says. “Cute little thing, she is. I sent flowers for the funeral. The orchids.”

“Thank you,” Aaron says dully. “There was no note, so I couldn't send a card.”

“Yes, well, anonymity and all that,” Stuart says. “Go on, Nathaniel.”

“It's Neil, Uncle Stuart,” Neil sighs. Stuart grunts, and Neil rolls his eyes. “We've discovered, only just in the last few days, that her uncle, John, has been molesting her.”

“Fucking pig,” Stuart spits. “Is that the favor?”

“Yes,” Andrew says coldly. “But not to kill him.”

“Maim him,” Neil says. “Castration, I think. And the loss of a hand, perhaps.”

“I work with a number of people that should, by all rights, be in prison this very moment,” Stuart says, “but I will not abide by anyone who dares harm a child in such a way. Consider it done. We’ll work something out, Nathaniel. It won't be much.”

“Thank you, Uncle Stuart,” Neil says. 

“Let me know when you'll be in England for one of those exy games. We’ll have tea. Goodbye.” He hangs up and Neil grabs his phone.

“Just like that?” Matt asks, a little in wonder. 

Neil nods. “Just like that.” He grabs his drink and downs a little more of it. “That invitation to tea was his way of telling me I'll be working this off, but I don't mind. As he said, it won't be much.”

Andrew reaches over and tugs on Neil's hair. “Thanks.” Neil offers him a thin smile. 

“How did he know about Sophie?” Aaron asks.

“He keeps tabs on everyone,” Neil answers with a shrug. “He has to, in part for Ichirou, but also because he wants to. He called me when Katelyn and Gregg got married. Gregg’s grandfather was, originally, like my uncle, only here in the US. He retired and threw all of his money in stocks. I'm pretty sure he said that Gregg never knew.”

Aaron nods. “Gregg said his grandfather came by his money in some shady ways at first, but he'd never tell anyone how. Gregg never pushed too hard to find out, either. He said it didn't really matter now that it was mostly all legal.” 

“And Sophie’s trust is sitting at about twenty-six million dollars,” Matt says with a soft laugh. “She can go to whatever college she wants and do whatever she wants for the rest of her life. Even without what we're putting aside for her, too.”

Andrew looks at Aaron blankly. “I suppose Minyards do eventually get higher than rock bottom.” Aaron laughs somewhat hysterically at that, which has Matt frowning. “Who would have guessed.”

Aaron drains his glass. “If you'd told me when I was sixteen that I'd be here, a fucking doctor with a goddamn fiance and a house with my name on it, a kid, and a fucking exy-star brother, I'd have laughed in your face and told you to go trip balls somewhere else.” He rubs his shaking hands over his face. “Mother fucker. I need a goddamn Xanax.”

Andrew narrows his eyes at Aaron. Matt narrows his right back. “Leave it, Andrew. It isn't fucking like that and you should know better.” Matt wraps his arms tighter around Aaron. “We would never do anything to risk Sophie staying with us.”

Aaron’s hand tightens on his glass. It looks like he wants to throw it at Andrew's head. “I don't smoke like you. We also don't drink like you do, considering we have Sophie here all the time and we never know what might happen.” He pushes Matt’s arms away and sits up a little straighter. “You still talk to Betsy?” Andrew nods once. “Well, I go to fucking therapy here. Sometimes, just to chill the fuck out when I feel like my whole goddamn world is falling apart, I take a fucking Xanax. And then I calm down and I usually go the fuck to bed. I don't fucking pop pills anymore. And fuck you for thinking I do.” Aaron gets up and stomps into the kitchen. After grabbing a bottle of water, he goes upstairs. 

“I know the first thing you think about is the way you had to get him, and me, off that shit,” Matt says lowly, “but it's been a long fucking time since then. It'd be nice if you could accept that we aren't the same people we were back when we felt like that was the only option for us.” Matt stands too, mutters a good night to Neil, and goes up after Aaron. 

“Let's just go to bed,” Neil says quietly. Andrew waves him on but heads out to the back porch on his own. He sits out there for a long while, smoking and thinking about what Aaron and Matt both had said. Perhaps he should let go of that particular assumption every time Aaron mentions drugs. Perhaps.

\--

The next day, Aaron fucks Sophie’s routine to hell and back by taking her to the pediatrician first thing in the morning. When they get back a few hours later, she's knocked out in Aaron's arms, but it's obvious where she's been crying. Andrew and Neil have packed to leave, they were just waiting for Sophie to get back so they could say goodbye. Matt comes over to Aaron as soon as he gets through the door and takes Sophie from him. Sophie doesn't wake.

“Wilson knocked her out,” Aaron says with a sigh. “She’ll probably wake up this afternoon and pitch a fit, but I didn't want her awake.” Matt nods even as he frowns. 

“What happened?” Andrew asks through gritted teeth. He almost feels like he's going to vomit. Almost. He won't let himself get to that point. 

“She's all right,” Aaron says quietly. “No...no physical damage, at any rate. I called her therapist, too, but she said that she won't help with that. So I have to find someone else. And then Sophie has to like them.” He rubs his hands over his face. “I might just wait until after the move, since it won't be long anyway.” 

Andrew nods and looks at Neil. “We're gonna go ahead and get out of here, then,” Neil says. Matt comes down the stairs. “Tell Sophie we said ‘bye. We’ll miss her.”

“Sure thing,” Matt says. He doesn't give Neil a choice about a hug. “See you guys. We’re moving at the beginning of July so I can be there for pre-season training.” 

“Can't wait,” Neil says with a grin. Andrew just nods once at Aaron and Matt before he heads out the door. Neil tosses a wave back at them as he goes. They have a long drive ahead of them. 

\--

Andrew gets a call the day Aaron, Matt, and Sophie are set to officially move into their new house. Most of their shit is already at the house and in place (or, at least the furniture and boxes are all in the right rooms) thanks to the movers. Andrew had to go over the day before and let them in. 

“Just got a call from Kathleen,” Aaron says. It's quiet, wherever he is. Andrew waits for him to continue. “She'd asked if Sophie could come spend a couple of weeks with them before the summer ended. I'd said to wait until after the move. She's cancelled now. Apparently John had a nasty accident at work. The surgeon managed to save his hand, but there was nothing they could do for his dick.”

“How unfortunate for him,” Andrew says, blowing a perfect smoke ring and allowing himself a smirk. “Pity.” 

“You should meet us at the house,” Aaron says. “Bring Neil. Five o’clock.” He hangs up before Andrew can answer. 

“Neil!” Andrew shouts. A moment later, Neil pokes his head out on the balcony. Andrew puts out his cigarette and waves him closer. When he sits, Andrew kisses him, hard. Neil blinks at him, a little dazed (the idiot) when Andrew pulls away. “We are going to Aaron’s at five.”

“Okay?” 

“John managed to keep his hand,” is all Andrew says. Neil graces him with one of those creepy smiles he once spent so long trying to claw off his face. 

Later, after a lazy day spent lounging with the cats and each other, they head to Aaron’s and Matt’s new house. Matt beats them to the door and has it open wide for them before they even make it up the stone-paved walk from the driveway. He crushes Neil into a hug, as always, before they all pile inside. Sophie comes barrelling out of nowhere and slams her tiny body into Andrew’s leg, hugging him. He pats her back in return and Neil crouches so she can strangle him in her next hug. Perhaps one day the idiot will learn, but it isn't likely. 

Aaron waves them into the kitchen from across the big, open living room. He puts big a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue Label on the counter and slides it over to Andrew, then he looks at Neil. “I know you don't drink, so.” He shrugs.

“Come on,” Sophie shouts. She grabs Neil's hand and starts to pull him toward the back door that's already open. Neil gives Aaron and Matt curious looks, but Aaron remains blank-faced and Matt only grins and follows after them.

“Got a glass?” Andrew asks, tapping the bottle. Aaron nods and goes to a box on the floor. He digs out a few and puts them on the counter as Andrew gets the bottle open. Andrew fills three of them and pushes one to Aaron. They toast and drink.

“Come on,” Aaron says, jerking his head to the door. “You should see the monster you helped create.” They take their glasses with them, and Aaron grabs the third Andrew had filled for Matt. Aaron passes it to Matt when they walk out on the deck.

The yard here is far bigger than the yard at the townhouse had been. The fence is higher, too. he yard has transformed into a full-sized exy court. The only thing it lacks are the plexi-glass walls. There is even a stick rack secured to a portion of the fence and buckets with exy balls in them beside it. Neil and Sophie are running around the yard already. 

“Matt got most of this set up the last time he was out here,” Aaron says. “We wanted to surprise Sophie. She and Matt and I have been playing every day. Matt even gets some of his teammates to come by and play sometimes.”

“I am sure she is overjoyed,” Andrew says flatly. 

Aaron laughs. “It was a little overwhelming at first, but she plucked up the moment they started tossing the ball around. Esparza even went and got her a baby ‘keeper racquet. In black, to match her other jersey. When they all come over, she mostly just stands in her tiny goal, but when it's just Matt and me, she'll run around. It's hilarious to watch her try to check Matt. He'll flop on the ground and act like she's killed him.”

“Gotta make it dramatic,” Matt says with a shrug and an easy grin. “Plus it gets her used to hurting people. I don't want her to freak out again if it happens even on accident. She knows I'm only playing, but we've talked to her about what can happen.”

“Court called earlier today, too,” Aaron says, quieter, as Matt runs out in the yard as Sophie’s call. “So Matt’s Court now, too. They'll announce it in a few days, I guess. He called Dan already, and Wymack. Everyone will be here to celebrate in a couple of weeks. I just need to call Nicky.”

“You do know he will almost never be home during the season,” Andrew says, looking at Aaron. 

Aaron nods. “I've been interviewing nannies. One girl looks great. She's a student, but Sophie can stay at school until she can be picked up. This girl even played exy in high school, so Sophie will have someone to play with.” He gestures at the yard. “Her major is something to do with kids, I don't remember exactly right now. Childhood development and psychology or something. She's young, but she's been a nanny before. Her references and background check all checked out. I know I'll need the help if I end up stuck at the hospital for something.” 

“The life of a surgeon,” Andrew mocks. 

Aaron shrugs. “My job pays better than yours.” He smirks when Andrew narrows his eyes. “Well, for one team, at least, and not including endorsements. But why the fuck do you think we moved? I wasn't about to spend another five years in Philly working for less than I'm worth.” He looks out at Matt and Sophie and Neil. “Anyway. Sophie has to like this girl, too. I'm setting something up in a few days, after we've got the house unpacked a little more.”

“Will you tell her about what happened?” Andrew asks.

“Yes, but only because I need this girl, Zara, to understand just how serious I am about certain things. She also needs to be able to listen to Sophie in case Sophie tells her anything like that. I don't want her dismissed. Too many people still ignore children when they try to tell them shit that's important.” He grimaces. “I see it too often at the hospital. I won't let Sophie go ignored like that.”

“Make sure she can handle Sophie’s schedule and meltdowns, too,” Andrew mutters.

“I already said something about that. Zara worked with special needs kids as part of some program when she was in high school, so she says she can handle it as long as Sophie doesn't start trying to break her neck or throw heavy furniture at her. Told her that wouldn't happen.”

“Let me talk to her,” Andrew says. “I want to know who is taking care of Sophie when you can't be there.”

“I'll call you when I get something set up. If she doesn't work out, there's an older lady, but she seems high strung, and I'm not sure she'll work well with Sophie's energy levels.” Aaron takes another sip of his whiskey, then he looks at Andrew. “Who'd have guessed we'd be able to hold a civil conversation one day.”

  
“No one,” Andrew huffs. Aaron rolls his eyes. That's that, though. They both get roped into joining the mini, impromptu game of exy Sophie has started. Aaron makes her go get a helmet at least, but as Andrew stands boredly in the full-size goal, he sends Nicky a confirmation number for flights so he and Erik can join in on Matt’s celebration. His family has grown rather large, lately, but he doesn't mind.

**Author's Note:**

> Tell me how you liked it! I love comments and they literally keep me alive.


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